Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings

The Tingler said:

There always was going to be a PS2 version, there's still a massive audience out there for that system.

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I never got that impression with the very first announcement of this game all those years ago.

It's like there are two kinds of gamers in the world: the ones who have a huge gaming budget, who can afford to buy new systems as soon as they come out, who can buy all the latest computer hardware, who can even afford MORE THAN ONE console. And then the ones who can't.

I come here with only a PS2 and read about people who own a PS3, an X360, a Wii, a DS, AND a PSP and I immediately get envious. Not only can these people afford not only these consoles and also the games themselves, but they must have the time to enjoy them as well.

I'm a working man whose money goes into food, gas for my car, the mortgage on my house, electricity, water, fuel for my house's heating system, all kinds of taxes, all kinds of bills ... When I come home after work there are a lot of chores that need to be done. I can play games perhaps for five hours in an average week, and that's counting the weekend.

I got my hands on a secondhand PS One when the previous owner bought a PS2. I could only afford a PS2 of my own years after it was first released, because I wanted to play "PoP: Sands of Time" and it came free with the console. I used to play only PC games, and I'm still a huge fan of the LucasArts adventure games, but I couldn't keep up with the system requirements for new games. "Escape from Monkey Island" ran maddeningly slow. When "GTA 3" came out and had even more terrible lag, up to the point where the game simply froze up, I gave up.

The majority of my game collection comes from eBay or garage sales (I actually found "Emperor's Tomb" at one only three years ago and had a hell of a time with it!) I was very excited when the PS3 was announced and videos of "Assassin's Creed" came out. Then the price tag was revealed and I immediately thought it would take at least another decade to save up for it. I thought I could raise a little of the money selling my PS2, but then the news came of the absence of backwards compatibility. I have all these PS2 games which I still love to play, but I wasn't going to keep a PS2 AND a PS3 (or any other console, even if they are cheaper).

Then all these interesting, non-PS2 games keep coming out. I was so glad when "Silent Hill Origins" was ported! Finally a new game! I was amazed "Lego Indy" was released for all platforms. But other interesting games like "Assassin's Creed", "Mirror's Edge", "GTA 4", "Silent Hill Homecoming" and when it finally arrives "Final Fantasy 13" are out of reach.

I thought this new Indiana Jones game would be added to that list. Now I find out it WILL be a PS2 game! I'm not only excited, I'm thankful, ecstatic, overjoyed! From my personal point of view, it doesn't matter whether it isn't up to scratch graphically, because it'll still be what I'm used to and it'll probably be even better because it still is a new game and must be at least a little bit more advanced then older PS2 games.

I understand many PS3 or X360 owners aren't happy this game isn't coming out for their consoles, even more so if they are big Indy fans who bought their system with this game in mind. I've thought to myself that the only reason I'd buy a PS3 would be "FF 13", but I would never spend the money (if I even had it) before it became available. But at the same time, there are so many other games which come out exclusively for those systems which people like me don't get to play, it's like the tables are turned for a change and now I'm on the good side. It's like for ten great PS3 games I miss out on, there's finally one decent PS2 game I get to play.

It's all so subjective, you know? Am I less of a gamer, less of fan simply because I don't have the same amount of money or time at my disposal? Is my zeal, my enthusiasm, my excitement as "obsolete" and "kiddie" as the only console I happen to be able to afford at the moment?

I'm reading all these negative comments, all kinds of excuses, all kinds of blame, extensive analyses of LEC tactics that I think to myself, Jesus, are we all so spoiled, so arrogant, so full of ourselves that we can't simply play and enjoy what's in front of us, and if for some reason we can't at least not spoil the experience for those who can?

I sadly am one of the ones who can't afford any of the new systems either.. nor can I afford the games that go with them.. Though I want one really bad, like Jonny said, there's not much $ to spare after food, gas, and bills... so I'm pretty excited that the new Indy game is coming out for the system that I actually have!

ronicle said:

I sadly am one of the ones who can't afford any of the new systems either.. nor can I afford the games that go with them.. Though I want one really bad, like Jonny said, there's not much $ to spare after food, gas, and bills... so I'm pretty excited that the new Indy game is coming out for the system that I actually have!

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I'm with you guys, and I completely understand what you're saying. I just bought a refurb Xbox 360 this week after saving for some time. The latest system just hasn't been a priority when there's much more important things to spend money and time on. I'm excited to finally get one, but even now that I have the system I won't have many games and the ones I do have I'll buy after they've been out for awhile and the price has dropped.

Meanwhile, I'm holding on to my PS2 for Staff of Kings. Hopefully it will be a nice last hurrah for my old system.

Johnny Nys said:

I never got that impression with the very first announcement of this game all those years ago.

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This came out 2006. The only platform he doesn't mention is Wii, which is ironic as it ultimately became the lead platform!

Just to clarify, some people aren't angry that the game is coming out on PS2 instead of 360 or PS3. It was never not going to come out on PS2, so no matter what had happened you'd be playing this game. We're not having a go at you for not buying a newer console.

However, it was going to come out on 360/PS3. Many people, the same people who pay bills and have expenses to worry about and only can afford one console, sold their PS2s in order to buy a 360 or PS3. Now they're not going to be able to play this game they wanted (unless they're one of the lucky few with backwards-compatible PS3s). They spent that money, and now if they want this new Indy game they're going to have to spend more to buy a system they otherwise no longer wanted.

That is why they're angry. Don't assume everyone here is ungrateful, plenty have a right to be annoyed. I know it's only one game... but dammit, it's an Indy game! As far as I'm concerned it's another movie, except one you can actually be in.

I think we have a very different idea of what we consider to be the very first announcement. I'm talking about the very earliest possible news of this game, before it was titled "Staff of Kings", before all those videos and trailers and screenshots and whatnot, when it was clearly announced as a next-gen Indy game, without any mention of other consoles. That first piece of news that told me it wasn't a game I would be able to play in the near future, and which made me stop following it. I did say I only recently discovered it would be for PS2 as well. If the very next piece of news turned out to be about that release on lesser platforms, the one you're presenting here perhaps, then I'm sorry I missed that back in 2006 and I would've followed this business along with the rest of you.

But I understand. And I'm not belittling your grievances. If a sacrifice backfires, you have the right to complain. If a promise is suddenly broken, it's going to sit wrong with a lot of people. So I'm actually one of the lucky ones by not making the mistake of trading consoles. It's worse than hearing about a new game and getting excited about it, only to hear it's next-gen only, like the games I mentioned. Because that's only logical. Technology has to move forward and if you keep living in the past you're going to miss out on a lot of things. You could almost say it's my own fault for not keeping up. I agree it is strange that for this game, it's like they're working backwards, and I do hope a next-gen version of this game will indeed see the light of day, perhaps if sales of the current versions are good.

I know how you feel Johnny. I was only able to get my PS3 (my only system) with my tax returns. I can't afford every game that I want for it. I'll not be able to play Staff of Kings, but I like trying to find new info for you guys.

Johnny Nys said:

It's like there are two kinds of gamers in the world: the ones who have a huge gaming budget, who can afford to buy new systems as soon as they come out, who can buy all the latest computer hardware, who can even afford MORE THAN ONE console. And then the ones who can't.

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I completely understand and share your irritation at how blatantly gaming has become a rich man's hobby. It had been headed that way for a while, but with this latest batch of consoles, it plunged over the edge into near-criminal levels of price-gouging. The gaming industry has now succeeded in alienating an entire class of potential customers--they would sell more systems and make more money if they dropped the prices a hundred bucks or so, so that every system was in the $200 dollar range. Seriously. It friggin' sucks--but that's business for you.

I've got every console from the last generation of systems--and you know why? Because they were affordable!! Now I didn't go buying them all at once--it took me years to pick up all the consoles and then all the subsequent games that I wanted. I now have a pretty definitive "best-of" collection of games from the last generation of consoles, and I revisit them all regularly.

Gamers are divided now into two groups of people: student-age people (grade school through college) who have their parents paying their way for them (or at least paying enough of their bills that they can spend the money from their part-time jobs solely on frivolities such as their gaming hobby,) and adults who have gotten a significant enough foothold into their careers that they have a reasonable amount of disposable income to spend on that sort of thing. Unfortunately, there is an entire class of 20-somethings who are still finishing up school and/or haven't yet gotten that far into their careers, and who don't have the luxury of parental support, who are just screwed when it comes to being able to afford today's gaming. And 20-somethings used to be the gaming industry's primary target audience. It really pisses me off when I think about it.

Anyway, I just had to get that out. Here's one more Indy-fan that will be rockin' the PS2 (and possibly the DS) version!

What could have been. *sigh* Also, he had his satchel even.
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Lonsome_Drifter said:

What could have been. *sigh* Also, he had his satchel even.
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Thats why I joined this club

Morning Bell said:

I'm so tired of these game magazines wasting space bashing KOTCS in their articles instead of focusing solely on the game. I don't know why these people constantly feel the need to work digs at Indy IV into their articles.

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Dr.Jonesy said:

That really pisses me off. That Game Informer article is the only one I've read that has bashed Indy 4 in an article. Usually I like Game Informer, but...

That just grinds my gears.

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I absolutely agree with you two. Anti-KOTCSers are the bane of my existence right now, especially since I am able to re-watch Crystal Skull on glorious DVD over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again and love the damned socks off it every time! Professional troll-critics need to shut up, and stop picking on our favorite movies.

Yes! KOTCS was differnet but good.
Harrison Ford himself loved it.

Off Topic: KongisKing where do you stand on Temple of doom?

I hope Lucasarts doesn't think this exempts them from giving us a next-gen Indy game. I'm still waiting for it.

I can't believe they would just scrap all of that.

i never noticed this little SOK promotion:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/advertisement_feature/indiana_jones/article2351766.ece



CJ

PAT ROACH!

The Staff of Moses is revealed!



http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/advertisement_feature/indiana_jones/article2351750.ece

I think this is the Staff of Moses used in Kotcs. Does anyone noticed it in the movie???

I only knew about it from the special features.

I highly doubt this will be the last Indy game, but whether we get one for 360/PS3 is another matter. I suspect so, and it will almost certainly be outsourced. The Collective doing anything these days?

Henry said:

The Staff of Moses is revealed!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/advertisement_feature/indiana_jones/article2351750.ece

I think this is the Staff of Moses used in Kotcs. Does anyone noticed it in the movie???

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I had trouble finding it in the actual movie, but that does look similar to what i saw in the special features( I had trouble finding it in the movie however). I am glad that they made it look like the one in the movie and hopefully it will end up in area 51 at the end of the game.

New images from the game in The Sun's web site: